Store



`AT NT 'nro RALPH D. CURTIS, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

STORE, doUNTING-Eooivr, am., Eon rEEsEEvING PROPERTY 1N CASE 0E ETRE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 5445, dated February 15, 1848.

To all whom 25 may concern: Y

Be it known that I, RALPH D. CURTIS, of Erie, county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania, formerly of Flint, Genesee county, State of Michigan have invented a new and Improved Mode of Saving Goods, Records, Money, &c., in Case of Fire; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

My invention consists in providing otlices, stores, storehouses, &c., with door and railway with the counting room shelves, counter, &c., and the springs, levers, bars, catches, pulleys, cylinders, chains, cords, &c., by which the whole is rendered in case of fire self-acting for the purpose of removing goods, records, money, Sac., out of the building.

To enable others to use my invention I will describe its construction and operation.

I construct my store with doors large enough for counting room counter and shelves to pass out which are built firm on Wheels and on a railway which extends out of the building front or rear railway inclines 2 inches to 50 feet wheels 10 inches in diameter. I place a cylinder B at the rear end of the store (if I wish to have the goods come out at the front). I attach to this cylinder a cord A A A A t0 pin b. I

extend this cord over pulleys a a a a a to dierent parts of the building and fasten it at its termination to pin 0. I have l curved springs, one on the door, one near the cylinder and two on the second floor, one at the front, the other at the rear end of the store. I place bar D over the end of'spring E on the second floor in front and bring the spring on the floor. I have chain C at the end of bar D. I bring this chain down through the floor and back of the counting room and shelves and make it fast on pin d on cylinder B. At the end of spring E I have 2 chains.

Attached at the end of these chains are block H and pin G. When the door is closed notch P shuts close to notch C. Block H fits both which bars the door. I bring bar M lengthwise of spring N and bar K across the end of bar M. I rest bar K against point L and make it i'ast by placing pin G in hole I. I place bar U across the end of spring V and bar T across the end of bar U, placing the end of bar T under pin S. I have a lever R attached to pin S and connected with the top of the door by chain Q. I place bar X across the end of spring Y and place the end of the bar in catch Z. Spring V and bar X are connected by chain W.

In case of fire cord A A A A burns off and releases cylinder B which turns and lets oil chain C attached to bar D which releases spring E which draws up chains F and G and block H which bars the door and pin G which fastens bars Kv and M and spring N. This spring throws the door open. As the door opens it draws in chain and lever R which draws pin S oi from the end of bar T which holds bar U and spring V. This spring draws up bar X (being connected to it by chain W) which releases spring Y which springs against a part of the counting room and sets the whole in motion.

What I claimas my invention and wish to secure by LettersL Patent is The combination of the door and railway with the counting room counter, shelves, 85., and the springs,` levers, bars, cylinder, catches, chains, pulleys, cords, &c., (as above mentioned) by which the whole is rendered in case of fire self-acting for the purpose of removing counting room counter shelves &c., out of the building.

Erie7 Erie county, State of Pennsylvania.

RALPH D. CURTIS.

Witnesses:

T. D. INGERsoLL, R. WV. AYREs. 

